Flood Stage

The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings and advisories today for areas near rivers in the Chicago area due to a combination of melting snow and recent rainfall levels, officials said. Many areas are at high water levels and are expected to crest in the next few days, said Andy Boxell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The Des Plaines river is at flood levels along with the Ottawa, LaSalle and Illinois Rivers, said Boxell. The upper Fox...

The worst of the heavy thunderstorms have left the Chicago area, but the rain they left behind is resulting in flood warnings throughout northern Illinois. A flood warning remains in effect for northern Cook, southern Lake, Lee, DuPage, DeKalb, southeastern Ogle and Kane counties until Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Creeks and small streams continued to rise Sunday evening from heavy rainfall earlier this afternoon, the weather service said. Water levels on...

Northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, including the Chicago area, remained under threat of heavy rains and flooding tonight and Sunday. Although rain moved through the area several times today, judging from the radar , another round of storms is headed toward Chicagoland. O'Hare International Airport was seeing flight delays of about a half-hour because of low visibility, according to the city's aviation department. There could be more rain, including thunderstorms,...

A few homes along rivers and creeks in the Chicago area suffered water damage from the weekend flooding, but officials said today the region avoided the serious problems some had predicted would result from the rains and melting snow. "We've had some minor issues with water around one particular home," said Bob Ellsworth, assistant director of the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency. But he said the home in Spring Grove along Nippersink Creek was not severely damaged. In Lake County,...

A National Weather Service winter weather advisory issued Monday warned of 4 inches of snow by Tuesday morning, an accumulation that has a chance to set a February record for Chicago. But as of 4 a.m., there was still no new record. The snowiest February in Chicago history, according to weather service, was in 1896, when 27.8 inches fell on the city. But as of this morning, the total remained steady at 26.1 inches, with only a trace having fallen since Sunday at O'Hare International...

The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings and advisories today for areas near rivers in the Chicago area due to a combination of melting snow and recent rainfall levels, officials said. Many areas are at high water levels and are expected to crest in the next few days, said Andy Boxell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The Des Plaines river is at flood levels along with the Ottawa, LaSalle and Illinois Rivers, said Boxell....

Roads in west suburban Riverside that were closed because of the weekend flooding will reopen this afternoon. First Avenue from Ogden Avenue to 31st Street, and Forest Avenue-Ridgewood Road from the Des Plaines River to 1st Avenue will reopen by 3 p.m., said Riverside Fire Chief Kevin Mulligan. He said the situation in Riverside, where about 400 residents were forced to leave their homes because of the rising floodwaters, has improved and all other roads are now passable. He said some buildings...

If schools and roads are the backbone of a community, Des Plaines seemed to be on the path to recovery today. The last street closed to flooding, Golf Road, re-opened this morning, and so did elementary schools in District 62, which had been closed on Monday and Tuesday. High schools had re-opened on Tuesday. "We're doing better," said city spokeswoman Karen Kozenczak. At 10:45 a.m., the Des Plaines River was still above the 5-foot flood stage, but had receded to about 5.85...

The worst of the heavy thunderstorms have left the Chicago area, but the rain they left behind is resulting in flood warnings throughout northern Illinois. A flood warning remains in effect for northern Cook, southern Lake, Lee, DuPage, DeKalb, southeastern Ogle and Kane counties until Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Creeks and small streams continued to rise Sunday evening from heavy rainfall earlier this afternoon, the weather service said. Water levels on...

A National Weather Service winter weather advisory issued Monday warned of 4 inches of snow by Tuesday morning, an accumulation that has a chance to set a February record for Chicago. But as of 4 a.m., there was still no new record. The snowiest February in Chicago history, according to weather service, was in 1896, when 27.8 inches fell on the city. But as of this morning, the total remained steady at 26.1 inches, with only a trace having fallen since Sunday at O'Hare...

A flood alert has been issued for Lake County along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers. The past several days of warmer weather and significant snow melt, along with rain that's expected over the weekend, prompted the alert from the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission and Emergency Management Agency. The National Weather Service has also issued flood warnings for Lake County for the Des Plaines River at Russell, near the Wisconsin line, and for the Fox...

A flood alert has been issued for Lake County along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers. The past several days of warmer weather and significant snow melt, along with rain that's expected over the weekend, prompted the alert from the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission and Emergency Management Agency. The National Weather Service has also issued flood warnings for Lake County for the Des Plaines River at Russell, near the Wisconsin line, and for the Fox River north of...

It's been raining in already soaked Chicagoland off and on all day, a pattern that will continue as the rainstorms that began late Monday night slowly work their way northeast . There are flood advisories for virtually all the waterways in Northeast Illinois , Northwest Indiana and Southern Wisconsin, with the worst problems showing up with the Illinois River in North Central Illinois and around the East Branch of the DuPage River in...

Northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, including the Chicago area, remained under threat of heavy rains and flooding tonight and Sunday. Although rain moved through the area several times today, judging from the radar , another round of storms is headed toward Chicagoland. O'Hare International Airport was seeing flight delays of about a half-hour because of low visibility, according to the city's aviation department. There could be more rain, including thunderstorms,...

With minor flooding under way on Tuesday on the Fox River across the border in Wisconsin at New Munster, and the potential for an inch of rain on Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for Lake County along the river that will last through Monday. Flood watches are in effect elsewhere in Lake County, as well as Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Livingston, and Will counties, according to the weather service. "It's because of all the...

A 133-year-old Chicago temperature record may fall today. Sometime after 1 p.m., the mercury could reach 65 degrees, according to Amy Seeley, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. That would break the record temperature for this date--63 degrees set way back in 1876. The 2 p.m. temperature at Northerly Island, just east of downtown, was 63 degrees. However, any official temperature reading that would tie or break the record would come from O'Hare International Airport, said...

Real news to deliver today: The weather forecast shows no precipitation. None. Zero. Nada. No snow, no rain, no sleet, no nothing. That hasn't happened much this month. The National Weather Service said that through Dec. 24, there had been only four days the whole month on which there had been no trace of precipitation. Rain is out of the forecast until next year. "We have five days to dry out," said Amy Seeley, a meteorologist at the weather service. "If anyone did have...

With minor flooding under way on Tuesday on the Fox River across the border in Wisconsin at New Munster, and the potential for an inch of rain on Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for Lake County along the river that will last through Monday. Flood watches are in effect elsewhere in Lake County, as well as Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Livingston, and Will counties, according to the weather service. "It's because of all the...

A few homes along rivers and creeks in the Chicago area suffered water damage from the weekend flooding, but officials said today the region avoided the serious problems some had predicted would result from the rains and melting snow. "We've had some minor issues with water around one particular home," said Bob Ellsworth, assistant director of the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency. But he said the home in Spring Grove along Nippersink Creek was not severely damaged. In Lake County,...

Real news to deliver today: The weather forecast shows no precipitation. None. Zero. Nada. No snow, no rain, no sleet, no nothing. That hasn't happened much this month. The National Weather Service said that through Dec. 24, there had been only four days the whole month on which there had been no trace of precipitation. Rain is out of the forecast until next year. "We have five days to dry out," said Amy Seeley, a meteorologist at the weather service. "If anyone did have...